Nov. 4, 2020
Small Business Summit connects veteran-owned businesses with resources
By Tracy Courage
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Fast facts:
- Free Small Business Summit forum on Nov. 6 at 10 a.m.
- Register at https://bit.ly/3642l50
- Arkansas APEX Accelerator serves 126 active veteran-owned businesses
(285 words)
(Newsrooms: With file art from the 2019 summit at https://flic.kr/s/aHsmJfyVPC)
(Download this story in MS Word format here.)
LITTLE ROCK — Veterans who own small businesses can get information about programs and services to help them succeed on Nov. 6 at the Arkansas Veterans’ Small Business Summit, hosted by the Arkansas Procurement Technical Assistance Center.
The free online event will be on Nov. 6 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Registration is available through the end of Thursday, Nov. 5, at https://bit.ly/3642l50. Arkansas APEX Accelerator cannot accommodate same-day registration.
The event, which coincides with the National Veterans’ Small Business Week, will connect business owners with resources to assist them with accessing counseling, capital and contracts with Arkansas-based federal agencies. Participants include the U.S. Small Business Administration, Arkansas Small Business Technology Development Center, Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE), the Conductor and Arkansas Women’s Business Center.
Last year, the center helped its Arkansas business clients secure government contracts worth $187 million for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020.
“Our goal is to ensure that our veterans are aware of all the existing business resources available to them,” said Melanie Berman, program director for the Procurement Technical Assistance Center.
The Arkansas APEX Accelerator is part of a national network of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers working to help small businesses compete successfully in the government marketplace. Nationally, there are 90 centers that help businesses sell their products and services to government agencies. Last year, the network served more than 57,000 clients and helped them secure $24 billion in government contracts and subcontracts nationally.
In Arkansas, these services are delivered through the Cooperative Extension Service, part of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
Arkansas APEX Accelerator is funded by the Department of Defense's Defense Logistics Agency with match funding through the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
For more information, visit www.uaex.uada.edu/APEX Accelerator or email ptac@uada.edu.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
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Media contact:
Tracy Courage
Director, Communications Services
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2126
tcourage@uada.edu